My White Trash Driving Whip - thanks, gothedistance!

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

In this thread , gothedistance suggested:

For quick and easy - use a longe whip with the thong tied back onto itself along the shaft (runing it down the shaft and then doubling back to the top, tying both ends with baling twine) so that you only have about 36" dangling, not the full 5’. Don’t carry the whip by the handle - carry it with your hand on the shaft just in advance of the handle. That will allow it to balance better in your hand.

So today before working with the pony, I made myself a White Trash Driving Whip

Please note that the baling twine is color-coordinated with the whip - only the best for us here at Green Acres.

I think I need to re-work it, because the lash kept getting caught on the ends of the baling twine. Maybe just use some carpet thread to fold the lash back on itself.

But it’s festive!

We did about 15 minutes in the arena this morning with the back half of his harness, his bridle, and the lines run through the tugs. I left the arena gate open for added difficulty

We clearly have some kind of gravity flux going on, because his furry little body just gets sucked towards that gate every time we go by.

Today, we did lots of turning, walked through the cavalletti a couple times, and only worked a little on “whoa” (mainly because I got so caught up in the steering that I forgot about stopping - oops!)

I forget who (probably more than one person) suggested walking off to the side so I could see his head - that was very helpful. I spent most of the time off to one side or the other, and only went right behind him a couple times.

When we were done in the arena, we took a quick trip out the driveway to the road, then went out back to visit the boys (who were eating and barely looked up), navigating around the muck cart, then left the boys behind (we weren’t sure we really wanted to do that) to go get untacked.

So - a nice little workout, with no drama.

Baby steps, baby steps. :yes:

[buck22]

AWESOMENESS! What a great great idea. Gives me an idea too, I need a tandem whip and a longe whip might be just the ticket!

Yes, be ready to be flexible in where you stand, off to the side really helps. I find myself satelliting around my horse as we school. Adjust to fit the moment. You will get proficient at dealing with reins & whip that way too.

My morgan does feel gravitational pull around gaits too. I have to say, one day I was a bit fed up at his repeated attempts to barge rudely at the gate, so I flicked my whip at his side (where the rider’s leg would be). The flick came more naturally to me than I intended (I flyfish, turns out I’m more deft with a long lashed whip than I’d realized)… and ever since a verbal ‘ehh!’ is enough. :lol: One good, well placed, well timed sting has lasted us well over a year and saved many little mini-battles. :lol:

[susanne]

Before I found the whip I wanted, I took our longe whip and tied the lash in a single chain (crochet-style). It worked great. Another take on the white trash driving whip…

[trubandloki]

Love it!

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

[QUOTE=susanne;6291251]
Before I found the whip I wanted, I took our longe whip and tied the lash in a single chain (crochet-style). It worked great. Another take on the white trash driving whip…[/QUOTE]

Ooh! I might have to try that next - might keep the lash from getting caught so much!

[goodhors]

I have found purchased lunge whips to be heavy and awkward to swing. They never seem to balance, no matter what you do, along with seeming much heavier to hold and carry, than regular “good but not expensive” driving whips.

So if you have any wrist problems, weak wrists, you may want to skip using a “modified” lunge whip to save yourself wrist pain later.

If the modified lunge whip works for you that is great. Just know that there are other alternatives for making your whip aid, an easy tool to use. Need have no pain involved.

[gothedistance]

@goodhors;6291823

I have found purchased lunge whips to be heavy and awkward to swing. They never seem to balance, no matter what you do, along with seeming much heavier to hold and carry, than regular “good but not expensive” driving whips.

So if you have any wrist problems, weak wrists, you may want to skip using a “modified” lunge whip to save yourself wrist pain later.

If the modified lunge whip works for you that is great. Just know that there are other alternatives for making your whip aid, an easy tool to use. Need have no pain involved.

goodhors is absolutely right. A lunge whip is much heavier to hold - which is why I will repeat again: do NOT hold it at the handle. Hold the whip just above the handle - your hand will be on the shaft itself. This will allow the whip to be better balanced in your hand.

And as soon as you can, buy yourself a proper driving whip. You’re going to need one anyway if you want to eventually get in the cart and let your pony do the walking for you. The sooner you can get your proper whip (Witmer’s Coach Shop, New Holland, PA - has GREAT whips dirt cheap), the sooner you will find out how nice it is to hold in your hand and make you wonder why you waited so long to buy one!

You can always mount your White Trash whip on the wall for the memories!

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

How will I know what size I need? Are they going to ask me all kinds of questions I won’t be able to answer because I don’t have a cart - or a clue - yet?

[gothedistance]

[QUOTE=Risk-Averse Rider;6293402]
How will I know what size I need? Are they going to ask me all kinds of questions I won’t be able to answer because I don’t have a cart - or a clue - yet?[/QUOTE]
Not to worry - they’re really super nice. They will only ask if you want a horse or pony size. You want the pony size with the long lash. And you want the imported whip which is dirt cheap but well made, decently balanced, and happy to stand up to all kinds of abuse - like being stepped on, left outside accidentally in the weather, dragged through the mud (hummm, I seem to recall a prior thread about deliberately dirtying up a new whip), sat on by the barn cat, used to knock down cobwebs or swat at carpenter bees, being flailed around in the air as one chases away with great shouting of sailor-worthy curses a bad pony who somewhere where they are NOT supposed to be, etc, etc.

Come to to think of it, these driving whips have a lot of interesting uses besides driving…

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

[QUOTE=gothedistance;6293464]
Not to worry - they’re really super nice. They will only ask if you want a horse or pony size. You want the pony size with the long lash. And you want the imported whip which is dirt cheap but well made, decently balanced, and happy to stand up to all kinds of abuse - like being stepped on, left outside accidentally in the weather, dragged through the mud (hummm, I seem to recall a prior thread about deliberately dirtying up a new whip), sat on by the barn cat, used to knock down cobwebs or swat at carpenter bees, being flailed around in the air as one chases away with great shouting of sailor-worthy curses a bad pony who somewhere where they are NOT supposed to be, etc, etc.

Come to to think of it, these driving whips have a lot of interesting uses besides driving…[/QUOTE]

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

“Hello, I’d like to order a driving whip, please. The kind that’s dirt cheap but the barn cat can sit on it without damaging it. gothedistance sent me.”